www.mikebishopillustration.com
Despite what Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald might have you believe, Paris has not historically been a cocktail-drinking town. Even today, the traditional predinner drink—the aperitif or more familiar “apéro”—usually takes the form of a glass of champagne, a kir (white wine with a splash of cassis) or a pastis (an anise-flavored liqueur favored by pétanque-playing French gentlemen of a certain age).
This is beginning to change, especially among Paris’s young branchés (scenesters). Just as “speakeasies” are cropping up all over downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn, drinking holes that serve serious mixed drinks are on the rise in Paris. Skilled mixologists are at the helm of both renowned institutions and newer establishments, and they continue to raise the bar on both the quality and inventiveness of the cocktails they pour.
www.marieclaire.com
Nonetheless, one must know where to go. We know how seriously Paris takes its food, but, unfortunately, the same rigorous standards are not always applied to mixed drinks. If you take a wrong turn, you can easily end up with a sugary concoction that evokes kindergarten rather than the Jazz Age.
Luckily, we’ve done the work for you. Here’s our short list of the best places to score real cocktails in Paris. In no particular order:
Le Fumoir
6, rue de l’Amiral Coligny, in the 1st Arrondissement. 01 42 92 00 24.
Just across the street from the Louvre, this swanky cocktail lounge is the perfect place to kick back for a postwork martini. The refined atmosphere provides a chic backdrop for the sleek young crowd that convenes here. Sit in the front (or on the terrace) to people watch, or curl up in the cozy reading room in the back. Take advantage of the great happy hour prices from 6 to 8 p.m. on weekdays.
Harry’s New York Bar
5, rue Daunou, in the 2nd. 01 42 61 71 14.
One of Paris’s classic “American bars,” Harry’s has been open since 1923 and is considered a Paris landmark. It’s the kind of place your grandfather probably came for drinks when he was in Paris, but it has proudly stood the test of time and continues to attract a diverse international crowd. With its dark wood paneling and American college pennants adorning the walls, it has a friendly atmosphere that makes you want to settle into a corner table for a night of swilling and story swapping.
Vodka gimlet. www.slashfood.com
Curio Parlor
16, rue des Bernardins, in the 5th. 01 44 07 12 47.
From the mixologists who brought you the Experimental Cocktail Club, Curio Parlor is Paris’s newest speakeasy. Tucked away on a quiet street in the 5th, this dimly lit cocktail den serves up a playful menu of inventive drinks made with fresh fruit and top-shelf liquors. In the evening you can slip into a velvet banquette for quiet conversation. After 10 p.m., the see-and-be-seen crowd takes over and the vibe becomes decidedly more decadent.
Le Doudingue
24, rue Durantin, in the 18th. 01 42 54 88 08.
Montmartre residents are happy to keep this place a neighborhood secret. The decor is cozy café with a Moroccan twist. Upstairs you can sit at tables, while downstairs has private banquettes where groups can lounge. Drinks range from well-mixed mojitos and mai tais to classic martinis—done right.
Mixing the perfect cocktail at the Bar Hemingway. Photo: Intelligent Travel
Bar Hemingway at the Ritz
15, Place Vendôme, in the Ritz, in the 1st. 01 43 16 30 30.
Clichéd, yes, but this old-school bar is still the gold standard in Parisian mixology and has been considered a go-to spot since Hemingway’s Lost Generation frequented it in the 1920s. Today it is inhabited by a considerably more swanky set. Colin Field, the head bartender, has become somewhat of a celebrity among cocktail aficionados for his perfectly mixed drinks. Though they are stellar, they don’t come cheap. A Manhattan will run you 26 euros, so save this place for when your sugar daddy is in town.
HiP Blog: hipparis.com (Hip things to do in Paris, France & Italy).
Follow us on Twitter.
Sign up for the HiP newsletter.
Tags: nightlife
